Combine News

General manager Scot McCloughan spoke with the media on Thursday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, here’s a summary of what he said:

–Alex Smith has started light throwing after undergoing shoulder surgery in December. McCloughan said Smith and quarterback Shaun Hill, who had finger surgery, will be ready to throw in the first mini-camp in early May.

-In terms of this year’s free agent market, McCloughan said, “We have some money, but we don’t want to be known as a free agent team. … We will be involved again (in free agency).” McCloughan said he has identified some unrestricted and restricted free agents. “We have a plan A, a plan B, and a plan C.” The 49ers handle free agency, just like the draft, going with a group of players they want to sign. If the first player gets signed, they go to the second player and so on.

-McCloughan was asked about the receiving class coming out in the draft. He said it was a good class and that there was a lot of production at the position because of so many three- and four-receiver offenses in college.

-He also said this is the best offensive tackle group he has seen in the last 10 years, and he expects a “handful” to go within the first two rounds, with six to eight possibly going in the first round.

-Appropriately enough for this blog, McCloughan addressed the 3-4, 4-3 question. “If you study our defense, we don’t go into a game with a 3-4 or a 4-3. It depends on the offense we are facing.” McCloughan said he will draft the best player regardless of the 3-4 or the 4-3, which is different from last year, when the team signed outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain and nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin for the anticipated switch to a 3-4 defense. On Tuesday, McCloughan said, “We will go in and find a good football player and adjust to what he will do best.”

However, Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, Cowboys tackle Flozell Adams, and Bengals defensive end Justin Smith look like they will be available when free agency opens Feb. 29. Cincinnati put their franchise label on tackle Stacy Andrews, meaning Smith will likely go to the market. With the Cowboys putting a franchise tag on safety Ken Hamlin, Pro Bowl tackle Adams, who has worked with 49ers co-offensive line coach George Warhop in the past, will likely go to market.

The most intriguing players for the 49ers are probably Briggs and Smith. The team has long been rumored to be interested in Briggs, who is a side-to-sideline tackler like Patrick Willis. If he did sign, it could signal a shift back to the 4-3 alignment for the 49ers defense. Signing both Briggs and Smith could really mean the return to the 4-3.

The 49ers, even though they are estimated to be more than $31 million under the salary cap, might be unwilling to make two big-ticket signings. McCloughan said at the end of the season, that the 49ers would be a player in free agency, but not have a huge presence like last year, when they spent $30 million in bonus bucks to sign cornerback Nate Clements, safety Michael Lewis, Franklin, Banta-Cain and wide receiver Ashley Lelie.

Coach Mike Nolan also addressed the media Thursday at the combine. He said an aspect of new offensive coordinator Mike Martz’s scheme is to leave the protection adjustments to the quarterback instead of the center and the rest of the offensive line, which could cut down on sacks, if the quarterbacks are up to that challenge.

“A lot is on the quarterback’s shoulders in Mike’s system,” Nolan said. “To be honest with you, that allows the other guys to play at a higher level. All it takes is one guy out of the other 10 to not know what’s going on and the quarterback will get hit.”